1/04/2014

'Ho, Ho, Ho. It's Magic!'

Everyone’s raved about Ulysses the cat and Uggie the dog, so
when will ferrets get their due credit? They look like furry little bandits,
which might explain why they’ve given the spotlight to cuddly cats and slobbery
dogs. The most memorable film ferret folks will have probably seen wasn’t even
referred to by its proper name: remember that scene in the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski where the German
nihilists invade The Dude’s home and throw a marmot in the bathtub? Said marmot
is actually a ferret. The Dudes who created Ulysses with such care didn’t give
the waterlogged ferret the same love. (California laws also prevent folks from
keeping ferrets as pets.)

Canadian director Alison Parker, on the other hand, hails
from a land where these furry critters are enjoyed as pets. She’s made it her
mission to give ferrets their due. Parker directs her own pet ferret Falcor (he
even has his own IMDb page)
in his second dramatic short, the delightful The Magic
Ferret, after starring in Parker’s Jake
and Jasper: A Ferret Tale. Falcor appears as Booger the Magic Ferret and
he’s the star attraction in the magic act of an imaginative boy named Sam,
played by an impressive Jacob Tremblay, who handles the emotional moments of
the film just as well as he does the film’s cutesy magic acts. The Magic Ferret is a lively
feel-good movie about the power of the imagination.

Sam, an orphan under the care of kind Mrs. Rassenti, played
by Beverley Elliott (a highlight of the film), uses his magic as The Great
Sambini to charm and entrance prospective parents. The Magic Ferret lets Sam say “Abracadabra!” when Mr. and Mrs.
Parker (Fred Ewaniuk of “Dan for Mayor” and “Corner Gas” fame and Lisa Durupt
from HBO Canada’s “Less than Kind”) come to visit. The trick goes awry in a
cloud of smelly smoke, so the disheartened Sam enlists Mrs. Rassenti and Booger
again to cast a spell over his potential parentals.

Booger is an especially good performer even if he botches
Sam’s first act. Falcor the Ferret is a cute little scene-stealer: Booger seems
like an inquisitive critter as he bobs before the camera and looks just as
curious as well are by the spell The Great Sambini is about to cast. This
ferret really is enchanting!

The Magic Ferret conjures
a flight of the imagination as Sam and Booger work their magic. Parker and
cinematographer Shawn Seifert show the escapist thrill of Sam’s act by pulling
the Parkers and the audience into a charming dreamlike world. As the
composition changes from the ho-hum life of the orphanage to the thrill of a theatrical
performance, The Magic Ferret lets everyone be a kid again as they experience Sam's feat of make believe. Sam’s trick with Booger lets him escape his
troubles, and shares the thrill of escapism with the audience in a feat of family-friendly magic.

The bouncy cover of “Magic” from Selena Gomez is a spot-on
music choice for the film, as The Magic
Ferret should easily lift the spirits of viewers as the film ends with a
playful wink from Booger before the credits roll. The fun of The Magic Ferret continues right through
the end credits as the film invites the audience to play a game of Spot the
Ferret as Booger pops in and out of the words on the screen. It’s a cute little
film that should please parents, young viewers, and ferret fans alike.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)

The Magic Ferret has its World Premiere at the 2014 Children’s
Film Festival in Seattle in the “One of a Kind” shorts program on Jan. 26
and Jan. 31.Update: The Magic Ferret screens at TIFF Kids in the "Better Together" shorts programme April 8, 9, 14 & 16.